From being on his second season of OWN‘s Queen Sugar, to his debut project, Jump and of course, starring in Girls Trip, the box-office hit that grossed over $100 million, Ghanaian-American Kofi Siriboe is having a great year.

As the 23-year-old actor covers Essence Magazine‘s December issue, he speaks of trying hard to make his mark in the world and fostering a deeper understanding of his African roots.

Speaking to the magazine about his name and Ghanaian culture, he says:

In first grade, I was asked ‘What’s your favourite food?’ I said ‘Fufu,’ and everybody laughed. I also remember asking my teacher not to say my full name, Nana-Kofi. Last year I went to Kumasi, in Ghana, for the first time and met the king, whose real name is Nana.

I didn’t always understand the roots that are woven into my name, but that realization is happening now.